Ethereal Series - The Beginnings

"Green Leaf..." original form

The "Ethereal Series" started because of a mistake(gasp!), a wrongly pushed button in my Corel Paint program that I sometimes use to crop my photos...That's right, my favorite artistic outlet, play toy & fantasyland almost never was...

I was editing photos(This particular photo ended up not even being used - in it's original form, that is), hit a button and "bam!", this drab, not-so-pretty original photo turned into a watercolor-looking dream which I named, "Green Leaf In an Ethereal World"(see the cropped, inverted color version to the left), and the "Ethereal Series" was born...

"Green Leaf In An Ethereal World"

Anyone who knows me & my realistically anal approach to photography, knows I have not used Photoshop(yet, but that's another story)for any of my work - My view is, "if I can't get that "perfect" photo with just my own God-given talents than it's just not fulfilling to my soul if I have to "tweak" it to make it better"(I'm a little hard on myself *grin*)...That said, the "Ethereal Series" gives me permission to live outside my own carefully constructed photography rules box *sigh*! :D

"A Study In Peacock Psychedelic"

The wonderful thing about my "Ethereal" world is being able to use your imagination - whether twisted & dark or light, airy & fantastical - there is something for everyone!

"Fairy Falls"

Are these radiation-poisoned mutant sharks ready to leap out & strike or fairy fish gaily swimming in peace?

"Elven Hidden Treasure"

Have you seen the tiny elf-like beings that happily live in the land of "Ethereal's" vibrant foliage? They assist God bringing color, beauty & peace to their surroundings by breathing life into all they see...

"The Palm Family Relaxes"

Tropical breezes, relaxing right on the ocean with the rustic sky above, this family has the best living room ever!!

Is it an alien?! Portrayed in "Another Victim Lost" I think, even in "Etherealville", this guy's just a regular Joe-crab spider in it's web chowing down to live yet another day...

 Is this the road to Hell, to an alien's home-away-from-home? Let's fly through the trees, merrily, to the witch's lair...together. 

"Flying Through the Outer Limits"

"Last Stop Before Hell"

Don't be fooled by the serene blues, the inspirational crosses on the headstones...Not all here go to Heaven &, in "Ethereal" Hell, things are not serene, inspirational nor Christian... Beware...

"Faerie Delight"

"Pistachio Garden Dream"

"Hibiscus In Ethereal"

"Yellow Phantasm"

"Wooded Serenity"

 The florals and foliages are always fun for me...It's like a mystery waiting to unfold  - I never know what I'm going to get until I invert the colors!  Inverting the colors of my "Ethereal" photos is what makes them, well, "Ethereal"...The original photo is untouched/unedited - only the colors are inverted, like a colored negative...

I hope you had fun frolicking or screaming for your life through the samples I provided of my "Ethereal Series"...Any, all and more are available for purchase at:
  treasuresfromhawaii

God bless....Dava

*****DISCLOSURE(grins at the "formality"): When I posted this last night I was in a personal space in my head so I did not stop to think how it would come off to my fellow artists/photographers who use editing programs/tools(such as Photoshop)...That said, here's my informal explanation: I should note that in no way do I judge or think negatively of anyone for using Photoshop(or similar editing programs) for their work(unless, of course, they don't disclose same and try to pass it off as an "untouched/unedited original")...These programs do amazing, mind-blowing things to turn out wonderful works of art - Not using these programs/tools is a personal matter(Ironically, my husband bought Photoshop for me as a birthday gift back in February and I've not yet opened it - *whispers*"He doesn't take it as disrespectful...He knows my fears and that I'll work through my Photoshop "phobias" in my own time!") :D
As I stated previously, I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to photography so I have a hard time getting myself to open up to these editing programs - as gr8 as they may be - because I feel as if my talent should show up in a photograph without the use of anything else...I often envy other photographers who are more open-minded and confident in themselves that don't mind using these editing tools to get that perfection...Maybe, one day, I'll learn to let go *sighs, rolls eyes and grins like a kid*...This disclosure was approved by moi :D